Rain damage: Minister KJ George appeals to CM for special relief package for Chikkamagaluru
Bengaluru, Aug 3: Karnataka Energy Minister K J George has formally requested Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to provide a special relief package, in addition to the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) grant, to address the extensive damage caused by heavy rains and strong winds in Chikkamagalur district.
During a meeting with the CM and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister George, also the district in-charge for Chikkamagalur, emphasised the severe impact of the recent weather events in the district.
He highlighted that the current NDRF grant is insufficient to cover the extensive remedial work needed in the district and urged the state government to consider this a special case and provide additional funding for natural calamity relief.
"During my recent visit to the rain-affected areas in various taluks of Chikkamagalur district, it was evident that many houses have collapsed and roads have been significantly damaged. This has disrupted road connectivity, necessitating temporary alternative routes. There have been landslides in many areas, with the potential for more. Fallen trees, damaged power poles, wires, and transformers are widespread. The Chief Minister understands the gravity of the situation and recognizes the need for additional funding to address these issues," George said in a statement.
ALSO READ: CM Siddaramaiah expresses displeasure over 'unscientific' work leading to landslide in Shiradi ghat
"A temporary compensation of Rs 1.20 lakh has been provided to those whose houses were completely destroyed. Additionally, authorities have been instructed to build new homes under the Rajiv Gandhi housing scheme at a cost of Rs 3.80 lakh. Damaged roads should be temporarily repaired to restore vehicular traffic. Officials have been directed to prepare and submit an action plan for a comprehensive solution," he said.
"We also need a permanent solution for the landslide issue. These major projects can not be undertaken solely with the NDRF grant," the Minister added.
The Minister further stated that officials have been instructed to compile a comprehensive report on the rain damage in the Chikkamagalur district, which will be submitted shortly. Based on this report, further assistance should be provided by the state government. The Chief Minister has responded positively to the request.
"Chikkamagalur district has been heavily damaged due to the rain. I have explained the actual situation to the Chief Minister and the Revenue Minister, appealing for additional financial assistance beyond the NDRF and SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) grants. Their response has been encouraging," he added.
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Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
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